There was a buzzing. It thrummed in his head, throbbing at his temples with a dull, tone-deaf ache. The buzzing didn’t come from anywhere because it was everywhere. It was inside him, rattling every bone in his body like the wings of bot fly until he was numb...

He looked back at the cacophony of light from which he traveled; squinting as he did, he could feel the muted warmth of tears slide down his weather beaten face. They weren’t tears of sorrow or joy, they were those of necessity, as are all things born of the wastes. He flicked a finger across his cheek as if he were shooing away a fly, then turned and continued on his way...

Solomon consulted the faint glow of the data slate he held in his hand. Tiny letters scrawled out across its surface listed a myriad of mundane items: 16 meters of copper wire, 5 kilograms of rubber hose or scrap, 100 kilograms of techcrete (not mixed)…

Worgana had flown into a rage ever since the Emperor had spoken that word, and her world had shattered. Exile. Her brother Fenris was to be cast out of Jotune society and sent into the west – to wander and die alone...

The sound of her boot heels rang a hollow tune as she quickly made her way down the cavernous halls. She passed before the gaze of her forebears, an unending procession of bronze and marble busts, and colossal murals depicting their heroic deeds...

The soldiers around him ducked their heads instinctively. This drill had long become a dull routine; taking snap-shots from cover, hiding from incoming fire, then doing it all over again. It was as monotonous and automatic as taking a breath of air. It was for all of them except Fenris...

The flare lay where Helena had dropped it, hissing and spitting, emitting a hollow red glare. The sounds it made faded as Solomon stepped through the portal and left the maze of underground corridors behind.

He had been right to move quickly. No sooner had Solomon crossed the threshold with Helena on his heels, than the portal lumbered shut. It didn’t close quickly, but clanged into place with a finality that stole away all hope - it wouldn’t budge. And when it closed, it brought utter darkness that swallowed the weak light had followed them in...